Here are a few stories that I found interesting over the past couple days.
Bell Scraps Plan to Charge Additional Fee to Access 5G Network
When Bell launched it’s 5G network earlier this month, part of the announcement was that after March 31, 2020 the company would charge a $10/month fee for access to the 5G network. When Telus launched their 5G network just last week, that company announced they would not be charging an additional fee. Bell has now changed their tune, and has said they will not begin charging customers for access to 5G. Rogers is now the outlier, as of this writing is still planning a $15/month fee to be implemented in April of 2021. However, with both of its main competitors not doing that, and the fact that all 3 carriers often move in complete lock step, usually down to having the exact same plans and pricing, I would expect Rogers to alter its plans as well.
This is a win for customers, charging an additional fee for this service was absurd. I’m glad common sense is prevailing here.
Microsoft Permanently Closing All Retail Stores Worldwide
Microsoft has announced that its retail stores, which have been closed due to COVID-19, will not re-open, and will be closed permanently.
This is not surprising, but it is sad. Microsoft opened its first retail store in 2009, when the company was attempting to compete more in the consumer space with Apple. The stores served as a showcase for Microsoft’s Surface Products, Xbox, and selected hardware from third parties. The stores did not do well, and with Microsoft’s shift away from the general consumer (aside from Surface and Xbox), this is not terribly unexpected.
That being said, I really enjoyed the Microsoft Store local to me, and I did make several purchases from there, including the laptop I am typing this on. I’ll miss that store.
Facebook to Warn Users Before Sharing Old News
Facebook is implementing a system that will warn users that a news item they are about to share is more than 3 months old. This is a clever way of attempting to reduce the spread of old information that may no longer be relevant. It is a small step to keep content fresh, and news up to date.
This however doesn’t help Facebook’s problem with the spread of conspiracy theories and provably false information. That is what they should be tackling and taking a stand on. Hopefully, that is next.
Verizon Becomes Largest Advertiser to Boycott Facebook
I include this because it is related to what I was just saying, but Verizon, one of the largest telecom companies in the the US, has stopped advertising on Facebook. According to The Verge, Verizon was the 78th largest advertiser on Facebook. When you consider there are, at minimum, thousands of advertisers, Verizon stopping ad buys is by far the most high profile yet.
Google Photos Gets a Redesign
Google Photos is one of Google’s best products. Offering unlimited photo backup, and access to your photos from any device, it is a service I use extensively, and almost every picture I’ve taken with a phone since 2014 is on Google Photos. The new interface features larger images, a redesigned search, and more.
I don’t have this update yet, but I’m excited to try it.